In Hard To Reach Places
by Cerulean Pen
Summary: "Neville, would you mind giving me a boost? I believe someone has placed my dress robes on top of the archway…"/Or, a nervous Neville Longbottom does not hold girls on his shoulders very well. Luna/Neville.


In Hard To Reach Places

Summary: "Neville, would you mind giving me a boost? I believe someone has placed my dress robes on top of the archway…"/Or, a nervous Neville Longbottom does not hold girls on his shoulders very well. Luna/Neville.

English Romance/Humor Rated: K+ Chapters:1 Words: Luna L. & Neville L.

For once, he was not sprinting uncouthly down the stone corridor to reach his destination before he would be assigned yet another detention, or in hot pursuit of his troublesome toad. No, Neville Longbottom was vivaciously ascending a stairwell, leisurely strolling to the Dining Hall for suppertime, musing over the vermillion dusk erupting outside the enormous, pristine windows. All was well at Hogwarts, and its tranquility had entirely coordinated Neville, who grinned as he remembered to leap over the last step, which had been enchanted invisible.

He released the handfuls of velvety robe he had hitched whilst reaching the lower floor, sauntering towards the faint, mingled babbles elicited from a thousand young witches and wizards. But, the customary chatter was penetrated by a mellifluous string of mumblings, the dreamy ramblings awfully identifiable. Immediately, Neville's palms went slick with an insalubrious amount of perspiration and a Hungarian Horntail flapped wildly about within him. Quivering, the boy peeked abashedly around the corner, catching sight of such blonde he was terrified he would encounter on his amble.

Luna Lovegood's particularly agile legs did not benefit for her own good at the moment, for her spangled silver dress robes had been deposited far beyond her reach. The shimmering fabric cascaded over the granite archway, and the spindly girl bounded upwards, her attempts futile as she was only half the height required. "Oh, not that time! Perhaps if I…" Out of the corner of her eye, Luna noticed the rapidly flushing Neville, cocking her head and a clump of voluminous coifs fell over her dreamy visage. "Oh, hello Neville!"

To his great surprise and respite, Luna did not further acknowledge him, returning to her perpetual game. Finally, he ventured forward, fingertips kneading one another in gut-churning anxiety, gazing up at the ruffled garments swaying in the breeze. "So, uh, how did they get there?"

"My roommates' fun," Luna responded with a pleasant smile, her pallid tongue working its way into the corner of her roseate, bowed lips. "I usually don't mind, but I'm leaving soon, and must find my hidden belongings. I would use magic, only I left my wand in my copy of The Quibbler upstairs." She reinforced her serene clarification with a passive shrug, about to strive for the unfeasible once more before her protuberant silver eyes widened at him. "Neville, would you mind giving me a boost?"

Superfluous to say, Neville was horrified, deeming an expression of terror that left Luna unfazed. He had never advertently touched a girl, especially Luna, and the prospect of lifting her upon his, admittedly feeble shoulders, sent him reeling into panic. Yet, Neville's agape mouth moved much faster then his fogged mind, and he found himself possessing identical qualities to the younger, uncertain version of himself. "S-sure," he stammered, tautly reaching out.

Her chin quaking from a suppressed giggle, Luna lifted her garments from her shins, using the aide of Neville's lanky arms to mount his collar. The slipshod tower teetered dangerously, until the dark-haired wizard could throw himself clumsily against the wall, his nose throbbing and Luna steadying her position. "Okay, if it isn't too much trouble, would you mind walking two paces east? We're almost there."

"Great," Neville panted, a sickening numbness rendering his muscles flaccid, fingers clenched around Luna's ankles. At the moment, he no longer cared about the awkwardness of looking straight up, for he was positive his femurs would split. "Ach! Grab it, grab it, grab it!" Neville shouted hoarsely, flesh turning scarlet, and Luna, arms whirling, successfully seized the hem of the shimmering cloth. Unfortunately, both witch and wizard simultaneously lost footing, toppling sideways before-

"AAAAHHHH!"

:::::

"So, would you mind explaining this again?"

Hermione rolled her eyes expectantly at her ginger-haired companion's lack of understanding. "Ron, honestly, what is there not to get? Luna needed a boost, Neville happened to be around, and they fell over." She gestured to the incredibly sore boy sprawled over the cot, pressing an ice pack to his recently stitched forehead.

"Yeah, but how did Luna drag him halfway across Hogwarts to the infirmary?" Ron impatiently implored, prompting her to sigh in exasperation. Before she could provide an agitated answer, Luna, using her acquired wand to sort multihued Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans into categories, spoke up.

"No, no Hermione, he has a right to be interested," she insisted, lazily flicking a cerulean candy along with the supposedly blueberry-tasting jellies. "It was quite easy, for he had forgotten his wand was tucked in his bag. The spell took some time to master, but the results left Neville unharmed." She sniffed a daffodil jelly bean meticulously, raised a faint eyebrow, then placed it in his open palm. "I believe this to be a lemon."

"Yay," Neville deadpanned in an uncharacteristically sarcastic manner, cautiously chewing it to find her suspicion to be correct. Settling back onto his plush pile of pillows, Neville glanced towards Ron, slightly irritated by his baffled expression. "Ron, what are you still confused about?"

"Seriously, what were you guys doing out there? A game of Kill The Wizard?" Despite the fact he sounded rather thick, this observation caught Harry and Hermione's attention, both turning back to Neville. He went an interesting shade of purple, evading eye contact with Luna, who smiled rather dottily.

"J-just helping her, um, get her, uh, cloak from a high, er, place," Neville mumbled, fiddling apprehensively with his healing brow wound. Ron smirked while Neville stuttered, and Luna inserted a maroon candy between her ashen teeth. "Hey, what do you think happened? Seriously, Ron, stop looking at me like that! Quit being such a freak!"

"Yeah, I'm the freak, while you're over here mooning over Loony Luna. No offense, Luna."

:::::

"Did you know a Heliopath will destroy everything but its master's property?"

"No," Neville answered blatantly, although the curtness of the reply derived mainly from the horrid taste of a spinach-flavored bean. He abandoned the candy, reaching instead for a chocolate frogs. "But that's very interesting," Neville added, grinning in her direction, as Luna cupped her chin in her hands, seeming to stare right through him. "Any other creatures I should know about?"

To his surprise, Luna almost seemed mischievous, but maintained her distant pitch in tone. "Well, Nargles often steal my papers and, if I'm not careful, my shoes. That's why I wear these." She pinched one of her radish earrings for effect. "They also hide in mistletoe." Neville grew silent as a stone, gulping as Luna leaned forward, her sweet breath tickling his nose.

"But it's not Christmas."

"Real mistletoe isn't used for Christmas." Without warning, Neville pecked her tentatively on her lips, leaving a weak ring of chocolate around her mouth. She gasped, retreated, and began to chuckle melodiously, soon joined by Neville, their laughter reverberating throughout the castle and jostling a pair of shoes hanging by their laces on a mantelpiece.


End file.
